Teen's Online Plea To Be Mainstreamed Strikes A Chord

A 13-year-old with autism has taken to social media to persuade his school district that he ought to attend his local middle school rather than a segregated program for those with disabilities.

Henry Frost, who communicates using an iPad, has garnered thousands of supporters on Facebook and more than 2,300 signatures through an online petition asking his Tampa, Fla.-area school district to allow him to be mainstreamed at his neighborhood school.

According to the petition, Frost says that school officials told him he needs to prove that he can handle transitioning between classes and climbing the building’s stairs. He was also told that he would need to take tests before he could attend his local school.

Currently, Frost is taking online classes at home rather than enroll in the segregated class where he was assigned.

While school district officials said they could not comment specifically on Frost’s case, they said they work hard to provide for every student.

“I would like the chance to try,” Frost told NPR State Impact Florida. To read more click here.